The Inevitable
by menarejustcandy
Summary: Charles gets some closure. Liza gets her own taste of page 58.
1. Chapter 1

Liza didn't see the missed call from Charles until that evening. Clare's sister had been serious about the no-phones rule. In retrospect, though, it was better that Liza didn't realize he'd had been trying to get in touch. The day had been complicated enough, and she had taken control of her feelings for the moment.

Josh's drunken confession still burned inside her throughout the ceremony and most of the day. She couldn't stop mentally replaying the moment before he kissed her - his eyes, half-open; his words, slurred but honest; his kiss, right, but wrong. The knowledge that only she and he knew what had happened - another secret for her to keep, except to Maggie, who didn't seem bothered by it - was eating away at her after she'd promised herself she'd stop lying to the people she loved. Meanwhile, Josh and Clare's family and friends laughed and mingled, from the morning ceremony to the afternoon celebration and, eventually, a dinner in the evening for the stragglers.

As evening fell, Liza was in a better place. It could have been because Josh was happy. He'd pulled her aside earlier in the day to thank her for coming and to apologize for the night before. "It means a lot to Clare that you're here," he said, "and to me, too, obviously," he added, looking up at her sheepishly.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," Liza smiled, eyeing Clare, who was trying to get Josh's attention. "But you should go - I think your wife's looking for you," she said, nodding her head in Clare's direction.

"God, that's weird," he said, shaking his head and putting his hands in his pockets. "When does it feel normal calling someone your wife?"

"You'll get there," Liza laughed. "Go."

It could have been a self-preservation thing. She had to accept what she couldn't change and let go, right? Maybe it was because she was finally closing the door on a relationship that, realistically, had gone long past its prime. Josh would always have a special place in her heart for what he gave her - a chance to reclaim passion that'd long been buried - and she was just as happy for him as they both realized he'd fallen for someone else. Right? That's what she had to work with for now, anyway.

And then there was Charles.

The time zone in Ireland was four hours ahead of New York, so by the time Liza had her phone again, it was too late to call back. She'd send a text instead, and he'd see the message in the morning.

"Hello from Ireland," she wrote. "Sorry I missed your call earlier - crazy day. Everything okay there?" Sent.

Three blinking dots popped up.

Charles had been in bed for a while, but he wasn't sleeping - who could sleep after a day like the one he'd had? When he heard his phone vibrate, he glanced at it and tipped the screen toward himself, squinting. When he realized it was a text from Liza, he sat up, switched on the lamp on his side of the bed and kicked off the covers.

"Hi," he wrote. "Not entirely."

His head was spinning after the humiliating GMA appearance, the way Kelsey and Zane fought like children and embarrassed him, and Pauline's self-congratulatory performance in the car as the video of her TV segment blew up online. He'd been brusque and pushed Liza away after she confronted him about wanting to take her off _Marriage Vacation_. He felt like he'd hit rock bottom. He'd never forgotten the evening when, over drinks, he and Liza had talked about what he might do if he had to start over.

She was the only person he wanted to talk to, and she was halfway around the world...chasing Josh.

When he'd called her that morning and gotten her voicemail, he was conflicted - half relieved that he wouldn't have to choose his words carefully or say something he'd regret when he felt so unsteady, but half anxious that she didn't answer his call. What was going on in Ireland?

"I saw GMA," she wrote, walking back to her room after the late dinner. "Was surprised to see you up there."

"Not my idea," he replied. "We should catch up in person. When are you back?"

"Sunday evening your time," she wrote, sitting on her bed, pulling off her heels and tossing them in the general direction of her suitcase. "Maybe lunch on Monday?"

"I'd like to clear some things up," he replied. "How about I pick you up from the airport?"

He sounded desperate. "Sure," she wrote. "I'll forward my itinerary."

"Good night," he texted.

"Night," she replied.

He turned off the lamp, but he couldn't sleep.

Liza, exhausted, drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

Charles was anxious as he waited for Liza at JFK. Should he have brought flowers? That felt a little pathetic. He brought her Nicole Krauss' novel _Forest Dark_ instead - it didn't feel like he was trying too hard, and reading ahead was an ideal way to pass the time until she arrived.

He'd found a spot in the International Arrivals terminal where he could perch on a metal railing and had read about thirty pages by the time she called his name, walking quickly in his direction.

"Hey," Liza smiled broadly, slinging her bag to her shoulder so she could lean in and give him a hug. Charles reciprocated with a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"How was the flight?" he asked, stuffing the book in his jacket pocket.

"Fine, but I'm glad to be home," she said. "It was a beautiful ceremony, but it's a long trip."

"Ceremony?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Sorry, I was sure Kelsey had told you - Josh and Clare, uh, got married over the weekend," Liza shrugged, looking uncomfortable as she tried not to think about the last time Charles and Josh had seen each other.

"Ah," he replied, surprised. "Well, uh, all my best to them. Just wish I would have known - I would have suggested a punch bowl as a gift," he smirked, embarrassed and searching her eyes, silently imploring her to change the subject to anything else.

"Ha," she said. "So what were you thinking - dinner? Drinks? Anything but airplane food."

"Let's talk and get a drink near your place. I won't keep you out late. I'm sure you're jet-lagged, and it's a school night," Charles replied, nodding toward the exit. He took her rolling suitcase for her, and they walked together toward the doors leading outside.

"Oh, I forgot," he said, patting his jacket pocket as they waited for a cab, "I brought you this. Knowing you, you've already read it," he shook his head. He handed her _Forest Dark_ , and she smiled as she thumbed through it. He'd written her an inscription on the title page.

"You should read it later," he nodded.

"Thank you! That's very thoughtful," Liza said, clearly flattered. "I love her - the book's been on my radar, but I hadn't picked it up yet." Charles was pleased to have picked something she hadn't read.

After getting into a cab and getting on the road, Charles couldn't help flashing back to sitting in the back of the car with Pauline the day before. It felt right having Liza by his side instead. She brought him out of his brief daydream by asking about what happened on GMA.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened," he admitted. "It was just so fast, and it still doesn't feel like it was real."

"It was definitely real," Liza said. "I watched from Ireland. Nice answer to the Hamptons question," she smiled, avoiding eye contact and looking out the window instead.

"You liked that?" Charles smiled. "I hoped you knew I was kidding. It was the one thing I could do. I just felt used." He shook his head, as if he was trying to dislodge the painful memory from his mind. "You know, I could rationalize publishing the book because it was a work of fiction - and a good one." Liza nodded, listening.

"But after it came out and all of this blew up, it all felt like a slap in the face - personally, professionally, to the company my family started." He looked at her, offered his hand and smiled weakly. She grasped it and rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "To you. And it's my own fault for agreeing to publish it in the first place."

Liza pressed her lips together and nodded slowly, her hand resting in Charles'. "I get it," she said. "But it was the right thing to do for Empirical - and, let's face it, for Pauline. You gave her a second chance to try to mend her relationship with you, the girls, her friends..."

"I thought we were in publishing, not granting wishes," Charles grimaced.

"Charles, this story is powerful," Liza said, turning her gaze away from him to look at the traffic ahead and avoid eye contact. "I was thinking about it on the flight back, actually. If you really want to take control of the narrative, now that the book's got good buzz, you could publish your own account of what happened. How it hurt you. What it feels like from the other side of the story."

"Absolutely not," Charles said, flatly, taking his hand back from hers and shifting in his seat.

"Hear me out," Liza said.

"Liza, that's stooping to her level," he protested, his voice quiet but emphatic. "I'd never breach her trust and do…"

"What she did to you," Liza finished his sentence. He exhaled and leaned back against the headrest in the back seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was shutting down, like he did every time he got cornered.

"This is not what I had in mind for tonight," he said, annoyed.

"What _did_ you have in mind?" she asked. "You picked me up from the airport."

He hesitated for a second.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said, shaking himself out of his anger and regaining his composure. "I'm taking this out on you, and that's not fair. It's been a sore spot for a while now, and it's been a hard few days. I wish you'd been here."

Liza glanced at him, then out the window. "I do, too."

The traffic had dissipated, and the cab pulled off at her exit in Williamsburg. After negotiating side streets, they pulled over down the block from Liza and Maggie's place. Charles paid the fare and lifted her suitcase from the trunk.

"Do you mind if I run home and drop my stuff off quickly? I'd ask if you wanted to come up, but I'll just be a second. I just don't want to get beer on my suitcase wheels. You know how sticky bar floors in Williamsburg are," she said, immediately realizing that he had no idea what bar floors in Williamsburg were like. He tilted his head and smiled. "Be right back," she said, hurrying toward her door as he stood on the street out front.

Maggie was on a later flight home, so the apartment was dark when she opened the door. Liza pushed her luggage into the kitchen and ambled down the stairs.

As she set the book on the counter, though, her curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked at the note he'd written her on the title page. "Liza," it said, with the date in the top right-hand corner. "To wherever our own story takes us. Yours, Charles."

Charles was more complicated than she'd thought when she first met him - he was anxious, romantic, a bit of a loose cannon. She couldn't predict how he'd react if he ever found out her real life story. But he was there now, waiting for her, and whatever she wanted to tell him.


	3. Chapter 3

They sat at a quiet corner of the bar down the block from Liza and Maggie's place. Charles had ordered a single malt scotch neat, while Liza nursed a glass of pinot grigio.

"So," she said, not sure where to start, "you wanted to clear some things up."

"I did," he nodded. "I wanted to make sure we could talk privately first, and not at work."

Liza had no idea where this was going. She nervously played with the hair band around her wrist. "Okay," she said, trying to keep her composure.

"The girls stayed at their aunt's this weekend, and Pauline and I spent the weekend together," Charles said, quickly realizing what he'd said and backtracking. "Well, not _together_ together, but we had some long talks about our future."

Liza's heart was in her throat. "And?" she managed to squeak out.

"And," he continued, "she and I both decided that it was best for her to move out."

Liza exhaled more deeply than she'd intended to.

"It wasn't exactly amicable," he said, shaking his head and tapping the rim of his glass. "It wasn't the ending she'd hoped we'd have, and I'm not proud of how I handled everything."

"I know she was excited about the prospect of moving back in," Liza said, her heart racing but aching for Pauline, knowing how badly she'd wanted things to work out.

"And so was I, for a while," Charles agreed. "But the more time I spent with her this weekend, the more I realized I'd already moved on." He glanced up at Liza. "I felt sure that I'd fallen for someone else."

Liza felt her face turning red. "I'm glad you got some closure," she said, nodding. "I know how important that is."

"I wanted to make sure you knew before anyone else, given that she's your author and you've formed a relationship," he added. "Most of the promotion for the book is done at this point, but I could see her disappearing for a while, so I wanted you to be aware."

"I appreciate that," Liza said, "both in a professional and," she hesitated, "personal sense."

Charles smirked. "It was the least I could do. It's been a complicated few months, and I appreciate your being there for me and for her. I'm just sorry you were caught in the middle."

They both hesitated and fussed with their drinks for a moment before Charles' phone buzzed and he excused himself to answer the call. Liza stared at his glass, mostly empty, for a moment, then at him, pacing as he stuffed his hand in his pants pocket and hung his head low.

It was strange to know that was how this long chase, full of missed opportunities on both sides, had ended - Josh was married to someone else, and Charles had moved the last remaining obstacle out of the way. They were finally on the same page. Liza felt elated, overwhelmed...a little light-headed.

Charles hung up the phone and came back over to their corner of the bar to grab his coat. "Sorry about that. That was Pauline's sister. She was offering to take the girls to school tomorrow morning in case I made it home a little late," he said with a glint in his eye. "Should we go?"

"Oh," Liza said. "Did you want to go see a movie or something?"

"Or something," Charles looked at her with a half smile and complete disbelief that she wasn't picking up on what he was suggesting.

"OH," Liza blurted, laughing. "Can I blame jet lag?"

"Get your coat," Charles said, cocking his head toward the door. He held the door open for her as they headed to Liza's place.


	4. Chapter 4

Liza switched on the light to her apartment and locked the deadbolt behind her. Charles looked around the loft and took a seat on the couch, patting the space next to him to encourage Liza to sit with him, but letting her lead the way.

"Can I fix you a drink? We've got...a lot," she said, surveying the not-so-minibar she and Maggie had accumulated over the past year.

"I'm okay," Charles said. "Come here."

Liza took off her shoes and jacket and sat down close to Charles, grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, covering both of them and curling up next to him.

"I'm glad you're here," Liza said, her voice steadier than she'd expected.

"I am, too," Charles smiled, lacing his fingers in hers and kissing the back of her hand.

Liza sat up a little and rested her hand on the side of his face, near his ear. She inched closer to him and embraced him, casting light, wispy waves of kisses across his lips. She teased him, flicking her tongue into his parted lips and moving her hands down to his biceps, feeling them flex as he moved himself into a better position. She pulled back.

"Are you sure this is okay?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"I've been sure since the day I met you," he said, moving her on top of him so she straddled him.

He leaned in and kissed her hard, their tongues twisting and Liza biting Charles' lower lip. She arched her back, her chest nearly meeting his, and started to unbutton her shirt.

"Let me," Charles said, his mouth still on hers. He eased himself backwards, unlocking himself from their kisses, and slowly, almost agonizingly, unbuttoned each of the buttons on Liza's shirt. She fixed her gaze on him, not flinching as he grazed his fingertips across her soft skin. She dove back in more deeply, breathing hard as he eased the shirt off her shoulders.

They'd both wanted this so badly for so long, and he was determined to make the first time memorable for both of them.

"Now let me," Liza said, unbuttoning Charles' shirt and pushing it out of the way, just the way she had in the dream she'd had. She tossed his shirt on the floor, kissed his chest and moved down his torso, keeping eye contact with him as she covered him with wet kisses. They murmured nothings, content in the moment, but aching for the inevitable.

As they kissed, Liza started to unzip her skirt, but Charles stopped her. "Keep it on," he said, unzipping his jeans and wriggling out of them. He rubbed her thighs and slid his hands up her skirt, grasping her, stripping her underwear off her and tossing it aside.

It was her turn to drive him crazy. She skimmed her hand over his lap and teased him, curling her fingers under the elastic band of his boxers and stretching it toward her. He raised an eyebrow, then lost his composure, as she looked him in the eye, reached under the band and grasped him in her hand, feeling just how ready he was to take her. She was ready for him, too.

He shifted them both so he was on top of her, putting two fingers in his mouth, then into her. She moaned as he gently curved his index finger inside her, making a "come here" gesture, beckoning her. Her breathing picked up as he lowered himself down past her navel and under her skirt, kissing her all over, then using his teeth to gently nip and pull at her. She wasn't going to last long.

Her knees shook as he worked his tongue in tight circles - his hands anchored on her thighs, his deep voice making low moans as he felt her come close to her limits, her trusting him completely to take her there.

She felt it all building inside her, first slowly, then growing, until she was taken over by something bigger than the two of them. She let go, and the pressure building inside her burst. "Oh my god, Charles," she whispered, her voice trembling, overcome.

He smiled, pleased to see her satisfied.

After so many near misses and keeping their relationship professional for so long, there was something so sexy about seeing each other this way - discovering that what they'd waited for was as good as they'd each imagined.

He kissed her hard and pushed into her. She was so turned on that he slid inside easily. Excited, he started to thrust into her quickly, but she drew back. "Slow down," she said, moving her hands from his chest up to his hair, running her fingers through it. "There's no rush." She traced the contours of his mouth with her tongue and sat up, grinding on him and setting a slower pace.

Hiking her skirt up, he grabbed her ass, keeping a steady pace as he ground into her, in and out, in and out. He flipped them over and slowed down.

"Don't stop," Liza said, and he didn't. When she could feel him coming close, she tightened around him, feeling him go deeper inside her and holding him in tightly. It was enough to push him over the edge.

The walls he'd built around himself to keep his distance from the world, from her, came crashing down all at once.

He couldn't hold back anymore, his movements frantic and his face contorted in ecstacy. As he came undone, he let out a word she'd never heard him say in the office.

He trembled as they held each other close, then he wrapped his arms around her and covered the two of them with the blanket, long discarded on the floor. They kissed and lay together.

"My god, Liza," Charles said, laughing and brushing stray hairs out of Liza's eyes.

"That was unbelievable," Liza said, nuzzling against his bare chest. They stayed tangled in each other, their breath slowing, then matching tempo. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before standing up to clean up, picking his boxers off the floor as she directed him to the bathroom.

Liza watched as Charles walked through her living room, marveling at what had just happened and the strangeness of having him see her world outside of work for the first time. She sat, content, on the couch, thrilled at what had happened, but wondering how she could possibly tell him what she'd been dying to tell him for so long.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Liza got to work a little early to get everything together for the week. She'd already found herself drifting off to daydreams of what had happened the night before, and she wanted to be sure to have her act together before Diana came in.

As Liza scanned and uploaded Diana's corporate card receipts for reimbursement - a mind-numbing task if there ever was one - Charles walked into the office.

"Morning," he said with a half smile and a nod.

"Good morning," she replied calmly, her heart beating hard. She searched his eyes for any recognition of what had gone on the night before, but he was collected and professional.

Kelsey dropped off her bag and coat in her office, then rushed over to Liza. "Tell me everything," she said, breathless. "Is it official?"

Liza shook her head, not understanding and feeling panicked that Kelsey knew something was going on. "Sorry, is _what_ official?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the wedding you went to three days ago? Was it that traumatizing?"

"Ohhh," Liza said, laughing. "It's a done deal. The ceremony was really beautiful, but it was a pretty emotional weekend for everyone, especially me."

"Aww," Kelsey said, leaning her head on Liza's shoulder, "You'll be okay. Let's pick up lunch at noon so you can tell me what happened...and I want to see pictures of Clare's dress."

Charles leaned out of his office and called for her. "Liza, could I see you for a minute?"

"Be right there," she said, smoothing her dress as she stood up and walked over. He held the door open for her and closed it behind them as she walked inside and sat down on the couch across from his desk.

Searching for where to start, Charles put his hands in his pockets and smiled. "So."

"So..." Liza replied, amused by seeing him at a loss for words.

"Last night was something I'll remember for a long time," he began. "It was...different. It may be because I'm out of practice," he said, self-deprecating, looking at his shoes, "or that I'd never gotten to know a colleague that way. Especially not someone so young."

Liza tensed up, then nodded. "I had a great time, too. It was amazing."

"I do want to make sure that we're careful about this, though," Charles said, leaning back on his desk and folding his arms. "I know you and Kelsey are close, but I'd appreciate your discretion. And, of course, I'll do the same on my end."

"Of course," Liza reassured him. "Your secret's safe with me."

"I'd say it's ours," he corrected her, a subtle smile forming.

"Ours," she repeated, liking how it sounded and appreciating the shared burden of their secret.

Charles' office phone rang. Liza stood up to excuse herself, but he looked at the caller ID and motioned for her to sit down again. "It's Pauline," he said, hitting the speakerphone button on the desk phone and putting his finger up to his lips, telling Liza to listen in silently. She nodded.

"Hi, baby," Pauline said, using a term of endearment that felt a little too cozy, a car horn blaring behind her. "I just picked the girls up and wanted to see what you were up to."

"Pauline, I'm headed to a meeting," Charles said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said. "The girls just said you didn't read them a story last night. Were you out late or something?"

"I gave them a kiss good night when I got in," Charles said, meeting Liza's eyes with a knowing glance. "Listen, I've gotta run. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Love you," Pauline said as Charles hung up the phone.

"That didn't sound like someone upset about moving out," Liza said. Charles opened his mouth to begin a sentence, but he hesitated.

"She is moving out, right?" Liza asked, puzzled.

"She is," Charles said, stalling, "once she finds a place of her own. She's found a few that look good, but it's a matter of narrowing it down to one and signing a lease. It should be by the end of the month."

"But she's still living with you now," Liza protested.

"Yes," Charles said, looking like he'd been caught.

"So you weren't entirely honest with me," Liza said, pressing her lips together and watching as he avoided her eyes.

"It's just not that simple," Charles retorted. "As a long, formative relationship comes to a close - especially when there are kids involved - you can't just ask someone..."

"I know," Liza said, cutting him off. "I've been there."

"Were your parents divorced?" he asked.

"No," she said, taking a deep breath after realizing that this was when she'd finally tell him the truth. "Wait, do you actually have a meeting?"

"I do, but I can be a few minutes late," he said. "What were you going to say?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you later," she said, her heart beating fast after she was sure she'd tell him.

"Come by my office after six and we'll have a drink," he said. "I'm curious about where this is going."

Liza nodded and got up, closing his office door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the day flew by, much to Liza's chagrin. Lunch was a welcome distraction - Kelsey oohed and aahed over the wedding photos that Clare had uploaded already, and Liza got to reenact Maggie's horrifying experience of sinking in the peat bog. After a few days of such heavy - and then overwhelming - emotions, Liza was relieved to spend an hour with someone who loved her for who she was, despite her faults and all the half-truths she'd told along the way.

After they'd caught up on the wedding and picked at the last of their lunches, Liza steered the conversation toward her latest dilemma, tiptoeing around why she needed to tell Charles the truth.

"I hope this doesn't sound too sappy," Liza began, "but I'm really glad you know the truth about my age. It had weighed on me for a long time, and I just feel better knowing I can be myself around you."

"Yeah, it really bothered me for a while, clearly," Kelsey said, shooting Liza a you-remember-as-well-as-I-do glance, "but, look, we've been through some serious shit together. We're bonded for life, even if you could be my mom. Empirical really feels more like a family than any other place I've been."

"I think so, too," Liza agreed, "...which is why I think I need to tell everyone. I'm just so tired of lying."

'You can't!" Kelsey implored her. "You'd be compromising the entire imprint. What makes Millennial so unique is that it's run by two millennial women who know their own generation inside and out. It's not so authentic and honest if half the team running it is headed for menopause."

"'Scuse me," Liza said. "I've got a while, thank you."

"I don't even want to think about it," Kelsey replied, dismissing the thought with the wave of her hand. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid. Please. I can't go over to Achilles if this all explodes."

"I promise," Liza said, offering her pinky for a pinky swear. Kelsey accepted it, and they left to go back to the office before Kelsey's afternoon meeting with an author.

As the afternoon went on, Diana went out to a late lunch to interview a potential replacement for Belinda LaCroix. Liza had a few hours of quiet, where she could gather her thoughts and decide how she wanted to explain everything to Charles. Should she start at the beginning? Should she explain that it was all because of Caitlin? Should she say Kelsey already knew? She couldn't help but feel like she should have kept a running list of who knew what. It was so much easier to tell the truth than to remember the stories she'd told everyone.

There was one straightforward way to tell him once and for all, though. Liza picked up the phone and called the floor downstairs.

Six o'clock came quickly, and as everyone else filtered out of the office, Liza carried a file folder to Charles' office. She knocked and took a deep breath after he called for her to come inside.

"Is now still a good time?" she asked, cracking the door open.

"Of course," he said, getting up from his desk. "Come in." As Liza sat down in the chair in front of his desk, Charles walked across his office, retrieving two glasses and his whiskey for special occasions. "Ice?"

"No, thanks, I'm good," Liza said, clutching the file folder so hard that her fingers began to lose color. Charles walked back across the room to give her her glass, then offered his to clink.

"Cheers," they said, as Charles wheeled his desk chair from behind his desk to where Liza sat. He let a moment pass before breaking the silence.

"I owe you an apology," he said, putting his glass down on a pile of papers and leaning forward, then resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands. "It was wrong of me not to be completely honest with you."

Liza's heart dropped.

"In what sense?" she asked. "Is there more?"

"I should have been more forthcoming about where things stood with Pauline," he said. "I just have this feeling," he said, emphasizing the last word, "that one morning I'll wake up and she'll have vanished, like she was never even there. And where would that leave the girls? They're old enough to know what's going on. I just can't let it all happen again."

Liza nodded, listening intently.

"You remember when you saw me smoking?" he said, looking up at her and hoping she'd somehow forgotten. "I hadn't smoked in years. I even had trouble lighting it. I can't tell you the last time I was that stressed." He shook his head. "So I'm sorry for," he hesitated, "making the truth more flexible than it should have been."

Liza cringed.

"But," he said, putting his index finger and thumb together, a gesture he always made to make a point, "I went out at lunch, and we signed a lease on a place for her. It's a subway stop away, and even if she takes off…"

"You keep saying she'll take off," Liza said, "and I don't understand why."

"When I'm threatened, I shut down," Charles said, "as you've seen." Liza cracked a smile.

"When Pauline gets cornered, she runs," he continued. "It just seems like everything went too well with the book launch and she's feeling comfortable with me again - I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Liza took a gulp of her drink. "I guess it's my turn, isn't it?" Charles looked at her, puzzled.

She passed him the file folder, which held her original job application from when she'd applied at Empirical. She'd highlighted her birthdate on the top of the page.

"I owe you an apology, too," she said, her voice shaky. "I...haven't been honest about something since I've known you. And you deserve better."

"What do you mean?" he asked, getting visibly anxious.

"I'm not 27. I turned 41 earlier this year," she said, opening the folder and handing it to him, pointing at the box she'd highlighted.

Charles' eyes widened, and he shook his head, unsure if he'd misheard. "Sorry?"

Liza took a deep breath and continued. "I have a daughter in college. My ex and I filed for divorce about six months ago, and he can't afford her tuition on his own, so I needed a job."

Charles stood up and rubbed his face, looking at her and trying to reframe everything that had happened between them over the past two years - _everything_. "I…"

"It's a lot," Liza cut him off. "I know. I'll answer anything you want to know, and if this means I'm not qualified to help run Millennial, I'll understand."

"I don't know what to say," Charles said, pacing around the office and half chuckling to himself in sheer disbelief.

"And I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you sooner - there were so many times I'd wanted to. It just never happened," she said, standing up to leave.

"Who knows?" he asked quietly. "Diana?"

"Kelsey does," she said, "and, uh, Jay does, too. Emily Burns from EW does...I think that's all from publishing."

Charles exhaled deeply. "I need some time to sort this out. I'll…" he paused to think, "call you tonight."

Liza nodded and stood. "Charles, I'm so sorry," she said.

Charles hesitated. "Thank you," he said, "for being honest. We'll...make this work. I just need to figure out how."


	7. Chapter 7

Charles couldn't entirely process what had just happened. He was conflicted: in a sense, he was relieved that he hadn't had his eye on a twentysomething for the better part of a year, more or less since the first time he saw her. On the other hand, he felt completely betrayed. Nothing he'd been through with Liza, this person he'd fallen so deeply for, was rooted in truth.

He opted to walk home to clear his mind, but he couldn't help but notice spots along the way that reminded him of her; as he turned west and traced the edges of Times Square, he glanced at tourists posing for photos on the staircase where he'd had to intervene when L.L. Moore got a little too grabby at the Crown of Kings launch. As he headed north, he walked past the deli - his former secret breakfast spot - where he'd seen her sitting at the counter reading Tolstoy before work and gently ribbed her for reading dense prose before her second cup of coffee. All these places, once just buildings on an anonymous block, meant something to him now because of her.

Or whoever he thought she was.

It made sense, he thought. All the times she'd hesitated when he'd joked about her age; her jaded, self-deprecating sense of humor; those hints she'd given when she'd tried to tell him, but it never happened. Her "older friends". Her stint at the department store in New Jersey. The pieces all began to fall into place, and he had a pit in his stomach as he walked up Broadway near Columbus Circle. How could he not have known this entire time?

It was hard enough to navigate this personally, but the entire Millennial imprint was at stake now, too. As the publisher, Charles had to lead, not ask others for advice, but knowing how Kelsey had dealt with this revelation could help him come up with a game plan.

He started a text. "I know it's late, but are you still in midtown? Could you meet for a drink? It's about Liza." He paused, then deleted it. He had a better idea.

By the time he walked into the pub around the corner on 83rd St., Jay was waiting for him with a bourbon for each of them. "Upchuck! Just the oak tree I was hoping to get a drink with tonight."

Charles smiled and offered his hand to shake, but Jay pulled him in for a hug instead. "Thanks for meeting me on such short notice," Charles said. "It's been a hell of a week."

"And it's only Monday," Jay reminded him. "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I hope it's not too uncomfortable to ask," Charles said, "but I need advice...about Liza." He tilted his head, trying to tell Jay wordlessly what he'd learned. "She'd only had good things to say about you, and I know you know her, well, probably better than I do at this point."

"Ah," Jay said, "one of your most promising employees and a lovely girl."

"Yes, but," Charles said, being more straightforward this time. "She and I talked after work today, and she told me everything."

"Oh?" Jay said, trying to figure out what exactly "everything" entailed.

"I need you to be straight with me," Charles said. "How long have you known?"

"What," Jay asked, laughing, "that she's our age, or that she's in love with you?"

Charles raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "What?"

"Oh, please," Jay said. "You had to know. She told me after you and Pauline got whisked away in that pumpkin carriage SUV after the Pubbies and left us in your dust. I never stood a chance. You'd be a great match."

Charles' heart dropped. There were going to be more revelations like this, and they were all going to sting as he realized how deep these dishonesties were - and how many people they affected.

"I have to call her, don't I?" he said, tapping his knuckles on the bar. "What do I say?"

"Ask her how old she wants to be at work," Jay said. "The best thing you can do is let her decide how - and when - to get herself out of this whole story she's created."

Charles nodded. "You're right."

"And," Jay said, "start taking notes now. Once this all blows over, this would be a hell of a book. Can Macmillan take it?"

"Let me see what I can do," Charles said, offering his glass to clink.


	8. Chapter 8

Back home, Liza was using unpacking - and Maggie - as a distraction so she wouldn't keep flashing back to telling Charles the truth. His eyes, widening; his pacing and almost laughing out of sheer confusion; his calling her name as she rushed out of his office in a blur. Fuck. There it was again.

"I can't believe you finally did it. I'm proud of you," Maggie said, admiring the dress Liza had worn to Josh's wedding before balling it up and tossing it into the hamper next to Liza's bed.

Liza tilted her head to the side and looked away. "Maggie, I'm probably going to lose my job."

"Please," Maggie laughed. "In this day and age, you really think they're going to kick a 27-year-old out of a publishing company and her own imprint because her boss was hitting on her and she has proof? It's not the '90s anymore."

"Okay," Liza replied, "but then that means Charles gets pushed out of his family's company by the board and I've wrecked his personal life."

"Well, you've got half of that covered already," Maggie shrugged. Liza chuckled and sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"What am I gonna do, Mags?" she said, curling up and pulling the covers over her.

"You made your bed," Maggie said. "Lie in it."

"Wait, does that mean keep lying or own up to the lie?" Liza asked, glancing down at her phone as it lit up.

"Good luck!" Maggie laughed, standing up and closing Liza's bedroom door behind her. "Say hi to Charles for me."

Liza took a deep breath and slid her thumb across the bottom of the screen to accept the call. "Hi."

"Liza," he said, his tone chillier than she'd hoped. Both sides of the line were quiet as they wondered what to say next.

"I want to start by saying I'm glad you told me what you did," Charles said. "It had to be difficult for you. But you've put me in a tough spot," he added. "I can't protect you, Millennial, and myself all at the same time."

"I know," Liza said, feeling very small.

"And the second it gets out, this" - she could picture him gesticulating around his den - "this is all over. It's a wonder EW hasn't had a field day with this already."

"You're right," Liza said.

"And the worst part," he said, "is that publishing is such a small world that I can't send you over to Macmillan without rumors of impropriety. You remember those photos of you and Jay at that cookbook launch? I would never tell you who you can and can't sleep with, but there are consequences, Liza!" his voice rising. "People get hurt."

"Not Jay. Only you," she said, realizing that in his moments of jealousy, he'd created his own backstory for her, that she and his imaginary sex life for her had occupied his thoughts more than she knew as he sat in the back of cabs and on boring hours-long conference calls.

Charles was quiet. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry I assumed. You know how much I care about you. I don't want to throw it away."

"Neither do I," Liza said. She hesitated. "What can I do? If it's not working at Empirical anymore, I understand."

"No, no, we need you," he said, "I haven't quite figured it out yet, but we may have you take a sabbatical from the more public side of Millennial until this blows over. We might need you to ghostwrite for Belinda LaCroix in the meantime - I know you can write like a 40-year-old when you need to."

"I can do that," Liza said. "Should I talk to Kelsey?"

"I'll handle it," he said. "And Liza?"

"Yes?" she said.

"I don't want to seem like I'm upset about what you've told me - I'm relieved. I just wish you'd told me sooner. Things could have been different."

Liza audibly sighed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Charles, we're both adults. What does that mean?"

"I want to get to know you, and not the 27-year-old you," he said. "I'm starting so far behind you and what you know about me."

"I can catch you up," she said, smiling, "but not tonight. It's getting late. Thank you for everything. It means a lot. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow. Good night, Liza." Charles hung up and opened the den door to find Pauline waiting outside, clearly having listened in on his conversation.

"...Liza?"


End file.
